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Tomlin should be placed on the hot seat

Tomlin should be placed on hot seat

By Dutch Wydo

When they say an NFL team is well coached, what does that mean?

A well coached team is one that gets the most out of the talent that it has. The head coach does this by putting a team on the field that doesnít beat themselves. They minimize mistakes and force the opposition into their fair share of them. They also capitalize on their opponents blunders. A well coached team is one that often wins the battle of field position. For example, knowing when to kick a field goal, punt the ball, or go for a 4th down conversion goes a long way in winning the battle of field position.

Most would agree that Bill Belichickís Patriots are well coached. It doesnít seem to matter who they have playing Wide receiver or Running back; they still perform at a very high level week after week. So letís take the time and do a little comparison between Belichick and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin since 2007.

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL SINCE 2007

Belichicks team = +92

Tomlinís team = -2

Belichicks teams since 2007 have forced 92 more takeaways than they have committed. That is an astonishing figure. Belichicks team rarely coughs up the football, and their defense has continued to give their offense short fields to work with due to their ability to take the football away.

Just take a look at the above statistics at how superior and consistent Belichick is when it comes to managing a game.

OFFENSIVE REDZONE PRODUCTION (TD) RANKINGS

Belichicksís team ranking

2012 Ranked #2
2011 Ranked #4
2010 Ranked #6

Tomlinís team ranking

2012 Ranked #21
2011 Ranked #17
2010 Ranked #15

One could even take a look at special teamís rankings.

2012 SPECIAL TEAMS RANKINGS

Ravens #1
Patriots #2
Steelers #20

Some might say that Tomlin has a Super Bowl ring since 2007, while Belichick does not. But if your criteria for a well coached team is that simple, then perhaps the Cowboys should have kept Barry Switzer.

Some will point to a survey that shows Tomlin is the coach most players want to play for. But that survey doesnít mean much. After all, Belichick and Coughlin were two of the most hated coaches to play for not long ago.

The evidence above isnít a one game sample size. Itís mostly 5 years of work that shows that Mike Tomlin will struggle mightily as head coach just as soon as some of the talent begins to leave. That talent comes in two words.
Ben Roethlisberger.

Belichickís team went 11-5 without Brady. This Steelers team under Tomlin might not go 5-11 if Roethlisberger missed the entire season.

In fact Steelers fans might as well face the facts. This Steelers team that you have watched the past 2 weeks is the one you will start to see on a regular basis under Tomlin, once Big Ben retires. Sure, they might not turn the ball over 8 times a game. But the evidence doesnít forecast much hope.

The Steelers do not take care of the football. They do not force the opposition into mistakes on a regular basis. They shoot themselves in the foot with penalties. They lose the battle of field position and often settle for field goals in the red zone.

When it comes to coaching, Belichick takes Tomlin out to the woodshed and just beats the hell out of him.

The Steelers are not a well coached team. They havenít been a well coached team under Tomlin. The time has come to place Tomlin firmly on the hot seat.

I dont think he is a good coach at times, but it may be a little early to put him on the hot seat. Maybe he got a little relaxed and comfortable. Lets see the moves made in the off season, including the draft and next season. If we miss the playoffs again, then........well, it might still be too early. We have to give this guy a good chance at redemption and I think that is the next 2 seasons.

There seemed to be a lack of discipline with certain components of this year’s team; an example being the WR group. Maybe it’s unfair to pin this on Tomlin, but it has to be addressed in the off season.

The last time the Steelers faced the Pats they won. Steelers are 2-2 vs the Pats since Tomlin took over as HC. Tomlin's teams have shown they can win game without Ben. Teams do struggle to win when they don't have players. Look how Billichick coached teams performed in Cleveland. That's a much larger sample size then one season without Tom Brady.

People want to simply place the focus on Tomlin. All coaches fortunes are tied directly to how their players perform. I believe more of a microscope should be placed on Ben. He hasn't gotten it done when the team needed it most this season. Denver, Oakland, Tenn, Dallas, and Cin were games where Ben and the offense had the opportunity to win those games. The offense didn't get it done. When talent doesn't perform all teams struggle to win games regardless of coaching. Coaches don't usually make that much of a difference unless their players are good enough. The team didn't get good enough play from the QB.

The last time the Steelers faced the Pats they won. Steelers are 2-2 vs the Pats since Tomlin took over as HC. Tomlin's teams have shown they can win game without Ben. Teams do struggle to win when they don't have players. Look how Billichick coached teams performed in Cleveland. That's a much larger sample size then one season without Tom Brady.

People want to simply place the focus on Tomlin. All coaches fortunes are tied directly to how their players perform. I believe more of a microscope should be placed on Ben. He hasn't gotten it done when the team needed it most this season. Denver, Oakland, Tenn, Dallas, and Cin were games where Ben and the offense had the opportunity to win those games. The offense didn't get it done. When talent doesn't perform all teams struggle to win games regardless of coaching. Coaches don't usually make that much of a difference unless their players are good enough. The team didn't get good enough play from the QB.

I am willing to give Ben a pass on the early games. Installing a new offense and offensive philosophy there was bound to be some adjustment. (ok, you can point to Manning in Denver, but the fact is they are running Manning's offense, not someone else's).
Ben needs to man-up and make the new offense his next season. There were early signs this season that he could thrive in this offense. I still think he sorely misses Ward on broken plays. Some point to Heath as that go to guy, but unfortunately due to a porous OL, he isn't running patterns on every play like a Hernandez.